Communications from the view at

Science

Communications Communications from the view atfrom the view at

ScienceScience

Pamela J. Hines, Ph.D.Pamela J. Hines, Ph.D.

SCIENCE, AAASSCIENCE, AAAS

Washington DCWashington DC

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AAAS website: http://communicatingscience.aaas.org/

Upcoming Workshops:

March 22, 2010 -

Austin, TX

April 29, 2010 -

Boulder, CO

Develop a 15-30 second soundbite

that addresses "how this will affect me".

Have two brief supporting points.

Be prepared for difficult questions.

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SubCompact writing: Titles, Teasers, Abstracts, and Summaries

ABSTRACTS capture the essence of the paper’s new contribution:

BACKGROUND for general reader, then specific to your study.

RESULTS, and OBJECTIVES/METHODS

CONCLUSIONS.

LENGTH limits is 125 words.

TEASERS entice the busy reader to look more closely:

Should capture the interest

Need not include technical details

TITLES

Informative, not mysterious

Capture the essential importance

Clever is ok, obfuscation is not

SUMMARIES such as Editors’ Choice

Convey the essence of technical conclusions using non-technical language.

What is the context?

What is the problem?

How does this approach try to answer the problem?

What was learned?

What future directions does that suggest?

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Mid-sized writing: Press releases & Letters

Press releases

Communicate to newsreporters, who get much more of their science from press releases than from scientists

Capture the interest of non-specialists

The best press releases

have a clear message expressed early

connect to the audience’s region or area of interest

avoid decorative asides

avoid excessively technical language

Stretch the audience a little but not too much

focus on the big picture

make the research tangible: analogies, metaphors and the art of storytelling

Letters to the Editor

Use lively, accessible language and avoid jargon

Structure the letter logically:

State your purpose clearly. Are you disagreeing with an interpretation, adding a point that was omitted, synthesizing several related points, providing a list of steps or suggestions?

Provide examples/explanation/suggestions, relating each to the main point.

Conclude with big picture/implications/next steps.

The best letters

are written for a wide audience

discuss points of broad interest

present a new idea, perspective, or interpretation (without requiring new data)

use responsible referencing (not cherry picking to support an opinion)

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The Luxury essay: plentitude without fluff

Carefully crafted writing

Compels by excellence of thought

Compels by excellence of language

Need not be long

Shines with quality

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Science looks forOutliersClosers Leaders

How to define quality?

Common reasons for acceptance

Important question

Interesting or unexpected answer

Great science!

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What makes a paper suitable for Science?

Features of papers that might be similar to other papers in Science

Importance

Impact

Clarity

Quality of the research

Optimal use of Science formats

Quality of the presentation

Manuscript length

Informative supplemental material

Features of papers that might be different from other papers in Science

Topic

Technology

Methods

Research subject

Domain

Authors

Locations

Country

Research sites

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Common reasons for manuscript rejection

Topic is not of broad interest

Result is too small of an advance

Conclusions are not convincing

Interpretations are poorly supported

Insufficient mechanistic insight

Insufficient evidence of relevance

Permutations of a known phenomenon

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Publication in SciencePublicationPublication in Science

25% 75%

6% 94%Manuscript

rejected

What happens to your manuscript at Science?

Advice from reviewers

Editorial and BoRE analysis

Editorial analysis, revisions, re-review, & editing

Over 200 research papers submitted each week

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Science is in over 1400 libraries and universities around the world

Site licenses make the journal broadly available online

Over a hundred thousand individuals have personal subscriptions, usually share their copy

Total readership, print plus on-line, ~1 million people every week

Original research is freely available with registration 1 year after publication

Authors can link to the final version from their website for free access

The visibility is great:

WHY is it worth the effort?

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Think like reviewers and editors:

The importanceIf the interpretation is correct, would this paper be interesting enough?

The data

Robust data?

Appropriate controls?

Original approach?

The presentation

Well written text?

Well organized argumentation?

Thoughtful discussion?

Formats suitable for the journal (length, figures, references, sections) ?

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“Learning the Ropes of Peer Reviewing” by E. Pain, in Science Careers web site, August 15, 2008

Assess scientific rigor, significance, relevance, originality

Confirm that you -

Have the relevant technical knowledge

Can meet the time limit

Are free from conflicts of interest

Support your opinions with evidence and clear arguments

Offer advice for improvement

Clarify which improvements are necessary, and which are optional

Be kind and gracious to the author

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“What Editors Want” by L. Worsham, in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 8, 2008

Only submit work appropriate for that journal.

Replicate the style and tone of work from that journal in your own article.

Follow the journal’s style guide and submission rules.

Submit content free of errors.

Place your work in the context of articles in the field.

Accept rejection: “Competition is fierce, so maintain a positive attitude.”

L. Worsham is a professor of English.

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Persistent misperceptions from the ‘education’ community:

That Science will publish – as an independently authored, citation-ready, research paper – a short re-hash of a more extensive study published elsewhere.

That education research - but not other research sectors – needs a 50-page paper for its presentation.

That enthusiasm –usually for their own project - can replace data.

That no-one else’s research is good enough to publish.

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Education content in SCIENCE

SPORE: SCIENCE prize for Online Resources in Education

[Contact Melissa McCartney, mmcartne@aaas.org]

Education Forum[contact Brad Wible, bwible@aaas.org]

- Controversies, debates Policy analyses; advances/needs in standards, curriculum, assessment, institutions, professional development

Special issues and Review articles[contact Pam Hines, phines@aaas.org]

Research papers[contact Pam Hines, phines@aaas.org]

News articles[contact Jeff Mervis, jmervis@aaas.org]

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SPORE – 2010: Science Prize for Online Resources in Education

To encourage - innovation and excellence in education - the use of high-quality on-line resources by students

To recognize outstanding projects from all regions of the world

Information at www.aaas.org/go/spore

Contacts: Pam Hines (phines@aaas.org) and Melissa McCartney (mmcartne@aaas.org)

First winner was published January 29, 2010

Rules for eligibility:

Focused on science education [the “S” of “STEM”].

Explicitly connected to the 4 strands of science learning.

Resources freely available on the Internet.

For students or teachers, precollege, college, or informal education.

The four strands of science learning:To know, use, and interpret scientific

explanations of the natural world,

To generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations,

To understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge,

To participate productively in scientific practices and discourse.

Bruce Alberts, "Redefining Science Education,"

Science 23 January 2009: Vol. 323, p. 437

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/323/5913/437

The four strands of science learning:To know, use, and interpret scientific

explanations of the natural world,

To generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations,

To understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge,

To participate productively in scientific practices and discourse.

Bruce Alberts, "Redefining Science Education,"

Science 23 January 2009: Vol. 323, p. 437

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/323/5913/437

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Feedback?

What topics should we cover?

Components?

How would you use these items?

What student audiences?

Curriculum connections?

Sustainability for Science?

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The American Association for the Advancement of Science

AAAS seeks to advance science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.

http://www.aaas.org/

And beyond that:

Vancouver, Canada 16-20 February 2012

Boston, MA 14-18 February 2013

SCIENCE, 26 Aug 2005